


Temptation

by HASA_Archivist



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: General, Post-War of the Ring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 20:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3783135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HASA_Archivist/pseuds/HASA_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For some, resisting the Ring was more difficult than met the eye.  Happy birthday, Raksha!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Temptation

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

Darkness had been vanquished, and in the joyful White City Faramir and Gandalf joined the throng and even the King in bowing to the Hobbits.

"You know," said Faramir, "that Ring.  I would not have taken the Ring if it laid by the highway, but the temptation to do so would have been a great burden."

"It was a great burden for your brother," said Gandalf, "and a great burden for me.  Many a night during the Quest, I'd be awake thinking of how all I needed to do to defeat Sauron was to claim his Ring.  I feared the Ring, and in the end I left it.

"You may have heard, from the others, that for a long time they thought I was dead.  I did not want to return, lest the temptation prove too much for me.  It was even difficult when I broke the power of Saruman, and when I expelled him from the White Council."

"Yet the Hobbits bore the Ring as far as Mordor."

"Such is the wonder of the little folk.  Few Men or even Maiar could carry it so steadfastly."

In the seat of honor, Aragorn thought for the briefest of moments that he would have been immortal had he claimed Sauron's power for himself.  But no, remaining strong against it and accepting the Doom of Men were worth but one life with his beautiful bride.  



End file.
